Who: Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona
What: UEFA Champions League, match day 3
Where: Parc des Princes, Paris, France
When: Tuesday, October 20, at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.
One of the most eagerly awaited Champions League matches of the season will be played against the backdrop of turmoil on the streets of the French capital as holders Paris Saint-Germain host Barcelona on Tuesday.
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The fate of the match has been subject to debate as the French government seeks to control the violent protests gripping the country.
However, once the match gets under way at the Parc des Princes, fans can expect a mouthwatering battle between the Champions League’s top two teams as the back-to-back holders welcome five-time winners.
Boasting a perfect record across all competitions, Spanish giants Barca are arguably one of Europe’s best teams this season.
PSG too have been nothing short of lethal – the Parisians lead the UCL points table and have scored a whopping 10 goals in two games.
There will be plenty of star power on display when the match kicks off as the dazzling duo of Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele will headline the star-studded home side.
Lamine Yamal, who is enjoying one of the best starts to a La Liga season for a forward, will be joined by Raphinha for Barcelona.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of PSG vs Barcelona:
How have PSG played this season?
After seven matches, PSG are second in Ligue 1 with 14 points, behind Lyon on goal difference. They have won four times, drawn twice and lost once in the French top division.
How have Barcelona played this season?
Barcelona are five points clear at the top of La Liga table with nine wins from nine. Their blistering attack has scored 39 league goals.
What happened in the first and second Champions League rounds?
Two-time holders PSG thrashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 in their UCL opener at home before beating Manchester City 4-2 in a thrilling away fixture.
Barcelona thumped Feyenoord 5-1 at home and bounced back from a goal down to smash Galatasaray 4-1 away.
Those results keep PSG top of the table and Barcelona second, with both on six points.
Will PSG vs Barcelona go ahead amid the protests in France?
Despite the violent protests and nationwide arrests, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the match will not be postponed or cancelled.
Lecornu said on Monday that he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses after weekend demonstrations spilled over into some of the worst street violence in recent years.
“These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris under curfew.”
At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the match.
Police have arrested at least 2,400 people across France after violent groups clashed with officers and looted shops during nationwide demonstrations that attracted hundreds of thousands of people to denounce rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
PSG vs Barcelona: Predictions
Opta’s supercomputer has given PSG a 39.7 per cent probability of winning, while Barcelona have a 37.7 per cent chance.
There are 22.6 per cent odds for a draw.
PSG vs Barcelona: Head-to-head
(Only in the Champions League)
- Matches: 15
- PSG wins: 6
- Barcelona wins: 5
- Draws: 4
PSG vs Barcelona: Form guide
(Last five matches across all competitions; latest game first)
PSG: W-W-W-W-W
Barcelona: W-W-W-W-W
Who are the top players to watch?
Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele (PSG): Torres, who joined PSG after four seasons at Barcelona, is their leading scorer with seven goals in all competitions, including an opening day Champions League hat-trick. Dembele has had an all-round impact with six assists and four goals.
Raphinha and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): With 14 goals, Raphinha is the most prolific striker in European club football this season. Such is his dominance that even a brief injury absence did not take away his top spot. Yamal, on the other hand, has been unstoppable in his own way – the 18-year-old winger’s nine goals and 10 assists make him a once-in-a-generation talent.
Team news and predicted lineups
PSG
PSG suffered a major blow shortly before Tuesday’s trip when left-back Nuno Mendes suffered a thigh injury during their 3-1 Ligue 1 victory at Strasbourg on Saturday.
Mendes will be unavailable for the “next few weeks”, according to the team who are also without Senny Mayulu with a similar issue.
Predicted starting XI:
Matvey Safonov; Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho, Lucas Digne; Warren Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Maghnes Akliouche, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue
Barcelona
Barcelona have been strengthened by the return of striker Raphinha and midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Raphinha picked up a knock on recent international duty with Brazil and missed Barca’s wins over Getafe in the league and Galatasaray in the Champions League. Dutch international De Jong has not featured this season due to a knee issue sustained during the World Cup.
Both were on the bench in Barca’s last game, a 5-2 win over Real Betis, with Raphinha coming on as a second-half substitute.
However, defenders Eric Garcia and Jules Kounde are sidelined. Garcia will spend between “three to four weeks” out with a thigh injury, while right-back Kounde suffered an ankle sprain and will miss the game against PSG.
Predicted starting XI:
Joan Garcia; Xavi Espart, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Joao Cancelo; Fermin Lopez, Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Anthony Gordon
